Increased displacement hikes aid needs across swath of Sudan: UN

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Humanitarian needs are rising in Sudan's Darfur and Kordofan regions and the Northern and River Nile states amid increased displacement, UN humanitarians said Monday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) quoted local sources as saying that insecurity, including deadly armed robberies, continues to affect civilians in El Fasher, North Darfur state's capital.

Aid organizations still cannot reach civilians inside the city following its takeover by the Rapid Response Forces in late October, OCHA noted.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that as of a week ago, more than 106,000 people had been displaced from El Fasher and surrounding villages, with nearly 80 percent of them staying in rural villages west and north of the city, without adequate support or safe passage for those wishing to travel onward.

In South Kordofan, the IOM reported that on Friday, more than 1,600 people fled Kortala village in Habila locality due to hostilities.

Displacement from North Darfur state and the Kordofan region is deepening needs in Northern and River Nile states, where OCHA met local officials and led assessments over the weekend, it said, adding that displaced families reported urgent needs of shelter, health services, as well as assistance with water, sanitation and hygiene.

In Northern state, local authorities estimated that 7,000 people who sought refuge there in recent weeks are scattered across rural Ad Dabah, with more than 300 people arriving daily, said OCHA.

The United Nations and its partners are providing primary health care, food assistance, safe water, and psychosocial support, the office said, adding that funding shortfalls have left key gaps, including in latrine coverage.

OCHA called on all parties to guarantee safe, unhindered humanitarian access and protect civilians, including aid workers.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said that the personal envoy of Guterres, Ramtane Lamamra, is currently in Port Sudan and held meetings with General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council, and other senior officials, including transitional Prime Minister Kamil Idris, and Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salim Ahmed Ibrahim.

Dujarric said the envoy is expected to go to Addis Ababa for further consultations with key stakeholders, including senior African Union and Ethiopian officials, with the urgent need for better protection of civilians at the forefront of all his discussions during the visits. ■